Open AccessReal-Time Communication: Creating a Path to COVID-19 Public Health Activism in Adolescents Using Social Media
Author(s) -
Kunmi Sobowale,
Heather Hilliard,
Martha J. Ignaszewski,
Linda Chokroverty
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
jmir. journal of medical internet research/journal of medical internet research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.446
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1439-4456
pISSN - 1438-8871
DOI - 10.2196/21886
Subject(s) - social media , pandemic , public health , public relations , health communication , covid-19 , limiting , internet privacy , psychology , political science , medicine , computer science , nursing , engineering , infectious disease (medical specialty) , mechanical engineering , disease , pathology , law
The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health efforts limiting in-person social interactions present unique challenges to adolescents. Social media, which is widely used by adolescents, presents an opportunity to counteract these challenges and promote adolescent health and public health activism. However, public health organizations and officials underuse social media to communicate with adolescents. Using well-established risk communication strategies and insights from adolescent development and human-computer interaction literature, we identify current efforts and gaps, and propose recommendations to advance the use of social media risk communication for adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic and future disasters.